James a



(No Model.) l

J. A. ELDER. FLOORING AND GEILING TOOL.

Patented Nov. 17, 1896.

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James 0/]: EZJer Wi'lneue s UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JAMES A. ELDER, OF GALENA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERTHARDWIOK, OF SAME PLACE.

FLOORING AND CEILING TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 571,432, datedNovember 17, 1896. Application filed September 28, 1895. fierial No.563,948. (No model.)

To rtZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES A. ELDER, of Galena, Cherokee county, Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flooring andCeiling Tools, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in more clearly of certain flooringand ceiling tools; and the object of my invention is to produce aflooring and ceiling tool which may be adjusted to engage joists ofdifferent widths and which is simple,

strong, durable, and inexpensive of construction and very eiiicient inoperation.

To the above purposes my invention consists in certain peculiar andnovel features of construction and arrangement, as will be hereinafterfully described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed todescribe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which--Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a flooring and ceiling tool embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the flooring and ceiling toolillustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the flooring andceiling tool embodying my invention and showing it in operative positionas applied to the floor. Fig. 4:. is a cross-sectional view taken justabove the guide-bracket. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detail views showingthe construction parts of the flooring and ceiling tool.

In the drawings, 1 designates the lever proper, h aving the handle 2formed at its upper end. The lever 1 is recessed or cut away at itsopposite sides and plates 3 4 are secured in said recesses, and thelower end of said plates project a suitable distance beyond the lowerend of the body portion of the device, the plate 3 projecting beyond theend of the plate l and provided at its inner side and near its lower endwith a spider-clamp 3, and a guide-bracket 5, approximately U -shaped,

has its side arms secured to the plates 3 and 4 and its cross-barextending transversely of the front side of the body portion of thedevice and a suitable distance therefrom to form the guide-slot 6. Theslot may be extended bear firmly against the outer side of the plate.

Pivotally mounted upon the bolt 8 between the projecting ends of theplates 3 and 1 is the head-block 1 1,,which is provided at its rear endwith a hammerhead 12 and at its front end is extended laterally to eachside,

as at 13, and is provided with a longitudinally-extending groove 14therein.

. A spring-plate clamping-lever 15 engages the slot 6 and is retainedupon the lever l by the bracket 5, forming said end is provided with aperpendicular extension arm 16, having a spiderclamp 16 on its innerside and near its lower end, and an elongated opening 16 therein engagesthat end of the bolt 8 which from the shoulder 9, and a retaining adjusting-nut 17 engages the outer end of said bolt. The upper end of thespring-plate lever 15 is reduced in width at 18 and has a handle 19formed-at its upper end. The reduced por- 80 tion 18 of the handle ispreferably bent in wardly, as shown, and is adapted to engage asegmental rack-bar 20, which projects outwardly from and approximatelyconcentric to the movable or in the slot 6, and is provided at its innerend with an arm 21, which extends at a right angle to the portion 20,and is secured to the lever 1 by screws 22 or in any other suitablemanner. As it is often necessary to hold the 90 flooring or ceilingboards in position when being applied I provide an anchoring-bar 23,which is provided with the oppositely-disposed ears 24. 24, which arepivoted to opposite sides of the lever 1 at a suitable distance 5 fromits lower end. This anchoring-arm when not in use is folded back uponthe lever and is retained in that position by a springcatch 25, which issecured to the side of the lever 1 by pivots or in any other suitable10o manner. The free end of the anchoring-arm 23 is toothed at 26, andis adapted to penethe plates 3 55 slot, and its lower projects outwardlypivotal point of the lever 15 reduced portion 18 with the rack-bar 20.The

lever 1 is now drawn outwardly and the tongue of the floor-boardinserted into the groove let of the pivotal head-block. The lever 1 isnow moved pivotally forward, and the head-block forces the lioor-boardinto position in the line of flooring. The head 12 may then be struckwith a hammer to more securely drive the board in position.

If it is desired to hold the tool in a certain position, the pivotalanchor-arm 23 may be disengaged from the catch 25 and swung to aposition where the toothed lower end 26 of said arm engages the upperside of the joist and affords an effectual brace or anchor for thedevice.

hen the device is applied to joists of unusual width, the lower end ofthe clampinglever 15, by the adjustment of the reduced portion 18thereof to a different position of the rack-bar 20, is caused to assumea position nearer to or farther from the adjacent end of the stationaryplate 3. The said lever 15, pivoting in the slot 6., and the elongatedopening 16, engaging the bolt 9, allows of said pivotal movement. It is.to be understood that this tool is designed to be used in secur ingceiling-boards as well as flooring-boards.

From the above description it will be seen that I have produced aflooring and ceiling tool which is simple, strong, durable, andinexpensive of construction and very efficient in operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A flooring and ceiling tool, comprising a body portion having a pairof side plates projecting below the lower end thereof, one of saidplates projecting beyond the end of the other and having a spider-clampsecured to its inner side, a head-block pivotally mounted between theprojecting ends of said plates, and a lever pivotally carried upon thefront side of the body portion, and having its lower end also providedon its inner side with a spider-clamp to engage the side of the joist,substantially as described.

2. A flooring and ceiling tool, comprising a body portion having ahandle at its upper end, a pair of plates projecting from opposite sidesand beyond the lower end of the body portion, one of said platesprojecting beyond the lower end of the other, a spider-clamp secured tothe inner end of the longer plate, a bolt pass ing transversely throughsaid plates, a headblock pivotally mounted upon the bolt and be tweensaid plates, having a groove in itsforward end and a head at its rearend, and a lever pivotally carried at the front side of the bodyportion, and having its lower end provided with a spider-clamp, and alsowith an opening engaging the projecting end of the transversely-arrangedbolt, substantially as described.

3. A flooring and ceiling tool, comprising a body portion having sideplates projecting beyond the lower end of the said body portion, one ofsaid plates projecting beyond the lower end of the other and providedwith a spider clamp on its inner side, a bolt passing transverselythrough said side plates and beyond the lower end of the body portion,and provided with a shoulder bearing against the shorter arm, ahead-b1ock pivotally mounted upon the bolt between said plates, abracket extending transversely of the body portion so as to form a slotbetween the same and the body portion, a lever mounted in said slot, and

having a perpendicular extension at its lower end having an openingengaging the bolt, a spider-clamp at its inner side, having at its upperend a handle, and nuts engaging the projecting ends of thetransversely-arranged bolt, and a rack-bar carried by the body portionand engaged by the lever, substantially as'described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. ELDER. WVitnesses:

D. B. STANnY, C. L. Rams.

